Photo: Department of Archaeology & Museums, Government of PakistanField guides / Khyber Pakhtunkhwa / Mansehra / Zar Dheri, Mansehra
Field guide · Heritage
Mansehra
Mansehra District · Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Zar Dheri, Mansehra
The Zar Dheri Buddhist complex, located in Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, dates from the 1st to 5th Century CE.
Zar Dheri was first documented in 1922 and later excavated between 1995-1999 by the Tokyo National Museum and Department of Archaeology and Museums, Pakistan. Key findings include 146 stone sculptures, coins, ceramics, and the earliest cruciform stupa in South Asia. The main stupa, built with dressed stones, features a square plinth with stairs on each side. The site is privately owned.
Why go
- ✦The earliest cruciform stupa in South Asia
- ✦146 stone sculptures found in the 1995–99 excavations
- ✦A 1st–5th century CE complex near Mansehra
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, April–May or late September to November. Zar Dheri in Mansehra district, with the earliest cruciform stupa in South Asia, is an active excavation; avoid the July–August monsoon.
Getting there, In Mansehra district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; an active excavation site.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Zar Dheri, Mansehra, within 5 km.
Nothing else genuinely close by (within 5 km of Zar Dheri, Mansehra) is published yet.
